1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket, and more particularly, to a socket for testing a semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, semiconductor packages are subjected to a final electrical testing procedure after being manufactured and prior to shipment. In this testing procedure, the semiconductor package is mounted on a test circuit substrate, which is coupled to testing equipment. In this context, a device for electrically coupling the semiconductor package to the test circuit substrate is referred to as a “socket.”
Recently, in order to make the semiconductor package light-weight, thin, short, and miniaturized, and to improve an electrical characteristic of the semiconductor package, use of a solder ball package, such as a ball grid array (BGA) package (e.g., a solder ball as mounting means for the semiconductor package), has increased.
The socket which is used to electrically couple such a BGA package to the test circuit substrate may employ one of two connection methods. One is a pogo pin method, which uses a pin in which a spring is embedded as a contactor. The other is a conductive rubber method which uses a conductive rubber as a conductive contactor. However, the pogo pin method is disadvantageous in that the solder ball is damaged when the pogo pin is coupled to the solder ball. And the conductive rubber method is disadvantageous in that the time in which the conductive rubber loses its elasticity and becomes deformed, is short.